March 13, 2015

According to a February survey by ORC International pollsters, Americans believe that parents should be required to vaccinate their children against preventable, communicable diseases by a wide margin, 78 percent to 22 percent. The demo groups most in favor are people over age 50 (84 percent, versus 72 percent of those under 50), women (81 percent, versus 75 percent of men), and those with children younger than 18 (70 percent). Nearly 60 percent overall feel unvaccinated children should not be allowed to engage in public school or daycare activities. Women and Democrats are more worried about measles outbreaks in their community than men or Republicans, while geographically, residents of the West are most likely to be worried at 39 percent, compared to 8-10 percent in other regions.